"There was just nothing there that was of any interest to me," says Wright, 28.

So when Wright quit his job in 2012 to launch technology company Turnstyle Solutions, he decided to create a benefits package tailored to his needs.

Turnstyle is one example of how Canadian companies are tweaking their health plans in order to appeal to a new generation of employees in the coming years. PwC predicts that millennials - who it defined as people born between 1980 and 2000 - will comprise 50 per cent of the global workforce by 2020.

In addition to the standard drug and dental benefits, Turnstyle covers naturopathic medicine, mental health counselling and provides employees with a fitness subsidy that they can spend on anything from a gym membership to yoga classes to participation in a Frisbee league.

The Toronto-based startup also offers free, healthy meals several times a week - a major perk for 23-year-old Sam Hillman.

"Some mornings we have soup, or avocados and eggs," says Hillman, an account director with the company's sales team.

"This emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle really shows the company's commitment to me as a holistic individual, and not just a Turnstyle employee."

Life insurance companies such as Sun Life Financial and Manulife Financial say a growing number of employers have been looking to implement corporate wellness programs in recent years, partly in response to the desires of millennial workers.

Preventative health care has become increasingly popular as employers have come to realize how it can benefit not only the individual but the company. Healthy workers are more productive, miss fewer days of work due to illness and are less likely to request costly drugs later down the road.

"We're trying to respond to what millennials are looking for, but there are also benefits to the organization for doing these things," says Joy Sloane, a partner in the Toronto health and benefits consulting practice at human resources firm Morneau Shepell.

Insurers have also started using wearable fitness trackers and incentive programs that reward customers for practising healthy behaviours, such as undergoing annual checkups or regularly hitting the gym.

Manulife, which launched an incentive program south of the border last year, announced on Tuesday it will bring it to Canada this year.

Flexible plans, such as health spending accounts, are also on the rise as employers look to recruit and retain young workers.

"The millennial generation is looking for different things than their parents had in terms of benefits plans," says Lori Casselman, assistant vice-president of integrated health solutions at Sun Life Financial.

Millennials place a much greater priority on mental health services, such as counselling and support groups, than their predecessors did, according to insurers.

"Mental health is now recognized as being one of the key factors in absenteeism and lost productivity, as well as drug claims and long-term disability," says Lisa Callaghan, assistant vice-president of products for Manulife's group benefits division.

"Mental health not only impacts the individuals, but also impacts the team, the environment and the culture, and for those reasons it is becoming more culturally accepted to have those conversations."

While much of the change to corporate health plans is being fuelled by millennials entering the workforce, Sloane says it isn't just young workers who reap the rewards of such changes.

"Although it's being targeted at the millennials, I think it's really beneficial for the whole working population," she says.

TORONTO -- Sears Canada saw its third-quarter loss grow to $120.0 million from $53.2 million during the same period last year as revenue declined. The loss amounted to $1.18 per share, compared with 52 cents per share a year ago.
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NEW YORK -- Coca-Cola said Friday that CEO Muhtar Kent will step down as CEO next year and be replaced by Chief Operating Officer James Quincey. The world's largest beverage maker is under pressure to grow as people around the world drink less soda, including its flagship Coke.
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Airlines could let passengers make in-flight phone calls using Wi-Fi under a proposal from federal regulators.
Flight attendants and others have complained that the calls could be disruptive. But the Department of Transportation said Thursday that it envisioned allowing the calls if airlines tell all customers about the policy when they buy their tickets.
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BISMARCK, N.D. -- Two Sioux tribes suing over the Dakota Access pipeline say they're willing to put their claims on hold while the Army considers whether to allow the pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota.
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TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won parliamentary approval Friday for ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, despite U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plan to withdraw from the 12-nation trade pact. Upper house lawmakers approved the TPP on Friday, heeding Abe's calls to push ahead with it despite Trump's rejection of the free-trade initiative championed by President Barack Obama.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Asian shares meandered Friday as an overnight rally in U.S. markets helped by the European Central Bank's decision to extend its bond-buying economic stimulus program faded. South Korea's benchmark slipped as lawmakers prepared to vote on whether or not to impeach President Park Geun-hye.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Global stocks continued to rise Friday as investors remained buoyed by the European Central Bank's decision to extend its bond-buying economic stimulus program. South Korea's benchmark slipped as lawmakers voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal.
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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears, the one-time standard bearer for U.S. retail, has posted quarterly losses for more than a year now, and sales continue to slide as the company shutters poorly performing stores. The company's cash situation, which has led in the past to clashes with suppliers, is an ongoing concern.
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Major stock markets in New York closed at record highs Thursday amid a broad rally from banks, materials and technology companies.
The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 65.19 points at 19,614.81, while the S&P 500 added 4.84 points at 2,246.19, both hitting all-time highs for a second day in a row.
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